Eternal Dance
by Aeslinn
Summary: It's a Valentine's Day Dance for our group of captors. Short and sweet, totally mush for both S S and E T.


_ _

_I wanted to dance forever._

_I don't dance much. Probably because I don't know how to dance. But in her arms I knew everything. I felt everything. And I was one with everything. She smelled of lilac and juniper, flowers woven into her long, dark hair. Her waves had floated around her and in her pale ivory dress she had resembled a faerie princess, adorned with the petals of the garden. Skin creamy and smooth to the touch, soft. Eyes so deep and dark, glinting purple in their depths. _

_I would have danced forever, had you wanted to hold me for that eternity…_

Daidouji Tomoyo looked around, searching for the other shoe. Where had she left it? A moment ago she had had it in her hand but Sakura's hair had come loose from the pin and she had had to fix it. Now her shoe was missing and she was going to be late.

"Tomoyo-chan!" came a voice from downstairs and Tomoyo recognized Kinomoto Sakura's tone. She was beginning to panic again. Tomoyo sighed and then exhaled in relief as she found the other shoe on top of the bed. It was the same color as the bedspread. No wonder she hadn't found it.

"Hai!" she finally called and she slipped on the other shoe, picking up her jacket and running out of the room, turning off the light behind her.

Downstairs Sakura was paler than a ghost. And she paced. She paced across the carpet and she had been doing so for quite a while because the faint imprints were visible in the floor covering. She looked up as Tomoyo came down the staircase and her green eyes were wide. 

"This was a bad idea, Tomoyo-chan. A baaaaaaaaaad idea-" she began, nearing as her friend reached the bottom.

Tomoyo smiled at her reassuringly. "Sakura-chan, you're worrying over nothing. I'm sure Li-kun will be nothing but a gentleman tonight." She said and she checked herself before slipping on her jacket. "Where are they?"

"I'm not worried about him being a gentleman, Tomoyo-chan." Sakura continued. "I'm worried about…about the way I look. About the way I hold myself. About…about _everything!"_ she stared at her friend and Tomoyo didn't think her eyes could have gotten wider. "I think I may hyperventilate…"

"You will _not_ hyperventilate!" Tomoyo ordered and she led her to the couch to sit down. "You're going to sit here for a few moments and take a few deep breaths. That's what you're going to do."

Sakura was already gasping as she did as she was told. She seated herself slowly, grasping the arm of the chair for dear life. "What if…what if he looks so handsome that I faint? Because…because Syaoran is _always_ handsome. It scares me that he's always so handsome…"

Tomoyo, for the first time in her life, felt the urge to roll her eyes. But she suppressed the need, instead sitting next to her friend and taking her hand. "Sakura-chan, it's only a dance. A Valentine's Day dance. You and Syaoran are already a couple, there's nothing left to establish." She looked at her friend closely and realized the girl was hardly paying attention. She sighed, squeezing her hand. "If you were this worried why did you agree to go?"

Sakura looked at her blankly. "I don't know. I have no idea why." She inhaled, lips glistening with the lip-gloss Tomoyo had applied to them earlier. "Tomoyo-chan…I don't think I'm going to survive the night…"

The doorbell rang, causing Sakura to jump.

Tomoyo rose, taking a step in the general direction of the front door. It was about time. The dance started in half an hour and she didn't want to be late-

Sakura yanked her back, nearly making the girl topple.

_"Sakura-chan!"_

"Barricade the doors!" Sakura cried, grip tight on her friend's wrist. "Don't let them in! Tell them I feel ill, that I can't possibly leave the house!" and she lifted a couch cushion, trying to hide her entire petite frame behind it.

Tomoyo pulled free, finally grabbing hold of the girl and shaking her. "Sakura-chan, get a hold of yourself!" she commanded. She contemplated slapping her friend but then thought it was just plain rude so with a cautious backward glance she went to open the door.

Li Syaoran looked like he was ready to run for the border as well, standing outside in a dark tuxedo. He looked like he had just crawled out of bed, suit jacket hanging open over a white shirt, bowtie undone and hanging down both sides of his open-collared neck. Beside him stood a calm looking Hiiragizawa Eriol, dark eyes sliding shut as he smiled.

"Konban wa, Tomoyo-san." He greeted her as she held the door open for them.

"Evening, gentlemen." She said politely, smiling at them both cheerfully. "Please come in for a moment. Sakura-chan is trying to escape and I'm trying to trap her in."

"Tomoyo-_chan!"_ came Sakura's voice from the living room, sounding indignant.

"She's nervous, too?" Eriol asked and he peeked into the living room. He wore dark clothes as well, a black shirt with clasps all the way up the neck and dark, loose pants, a dark blue sash tied around his waist. Tomoyo gazed at him nonchalantly, admiring the slender waist and lean frame. Then he was lifting his hand and waving at Sakura in the living room, who was cowering close to the window. Tomoyo looked up to gauge her reaction and only then realized she had the window open and was trying to escape.

"_Sakura-chan!_ Don't you even _think_ about it!" she called after her, rushing into the room.

Syaoran came up behind Eriol who glanced at him. "Now, now. It's not going to be that bad." He soothed the auburn-haired boy serenely. "The both of you are exactly the same."

Tomoyo was dragging Sakura, who was fighting quite violently. "Tomoyo-chan, let go-"

Eriol grabbed hold of Syaoran at the same time and shoved him into the room.

Sakura and Syaoran both stumbled to a stop, standing before each other. They both reared up, staring at each other and both blushed, faces turning tomato red.

Tomoyo skipped to stand beside Eriol, her smile the slightest bit wicked. "Kawaii, ne?" she asked Eriol, looking at him.

He was already looking at her, a very faint blush coloring his cheeks as well. "Beautiful, actually." He murmured distractedly before snapping back to reality and looking toward Sakura and Syaoran. "Or rather, cute. Yes, I agree wholeheartedly."

Tomoyo looked at the couple again, embarrassment shining on her face.

"You…you look…" Syaoran was saying, one hand lifting to scratch the back of his neck awkwardly.

Sakura stared at him, eyebrows turning up. "Horrible, I know. The dress is so simple and my hair…" she patted down her skirt, running her hands over the soft, filmy material.

"You look beautiful."

Sakura came to a stop and blinked. "Hoeee?"

Syaoran nodded, a small smile curling his lips. "You look absolutely beautiful." He said again, cheeks burning red once more.

Sakura slowly smiled, joy blossoming on her face. "A…Arigato." She whispered and she cocked her head. "You look wonderful, too."

He shrugged as if the compliment were too much for him. "Not really. I was so nervous, getting ready. And Eriol-kun was badgering me to hurry up and I couldn't get the bowtie fixed…"

Sakura reached up toward his neck, fingers taking hold of the bowtie. He became silent and merely gazed at her as she made a bowtie out of the ribbon, fastening it perfectly at the collar. He smelled good, like soap, and his hair was damp. She had noticed it when tying the bowtie. She smiled, practically melting as he leaned forward the slightest bit and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead, hands lifting to her waist.

Tomoyo looked at Eriol knowingly. "Hey." She admonished teasingly. "Keep all that stuff out until after the dance."

Sakura looked at her over Syaoran's shoulder and she giggled as Syaoran merely turned his head toward them.

Eriol chuckled silently and finally looked at Tomoyo, holding out his arm. "Shall we go?"

Tomoyo accepted it, nodding. "Let's."

_Wishful thinking I might be yours_

_Drifting on every step_

_I'm always drawn to the darkest horse_

_Sweet sweet, nothing's said_

_ _

_And every dream is just a dream, after all_

_ _

_And everything stands so still when you dance_

# Everything spins so fast

_And the night's in a paper cup_

_When you want it to last_

Eriol looked around, hands clasping a cup of punch. Sakura and Syaoran danced off to the side, swaying, with their arms wrapped around each other. How silly they were, he thought to himself. So in love and so perfect for each other and yet put them together in a room and they became as tongue-tied as-

"Eriol-kun. Dance with me?"

As he did when faced with Tomoyo-chan. He stared at her as she tilted her head at him, long wavy hair cascading down her back and shoulders. She had woven flowers, small baby buds, into those long tresses and her skin shone with faint glitter. Complete with the ivory gown and the simple chain around her wrist she was a pixie, glowing from within.

"Of course." He uttered and he set down his cup of punch, standing slowly. She came closer to him, taking hold of both of his hands and pulling him towards her, leading him onto the floor. 

The room had been decorated with streamers and balloons, a live band playing gently in the background. Other couples circled the floor and he recognized a few of them. But none of them held his attention the way Tomoyo did then, her hair floating around her slender frame as she paused close to Sakura and Syaoran. She faced him, her hair finally coming to rest upon her milky pale shoulders and she came closer still, her scent surrounding him. Scent of lilac. Like the kind he grew in his garden. Her eyes and hair shimmering with the same color carefully peeking out through darkness. He allowed one of his hands to wind around her waist, the other taking hold of her free hand and trapping it to his heart. 

She looked up at him, eyes hooded, lips shimmering. Her other arm snuck its way under his and curled up around his slender waist, body pressing up against his. She felt his breath catch the slightest bit and she smiled at him serenely, seemingly content to gaze at him.

"There is something I've been wanting to do for a while now." He murmured, breath warm against her cheek.

She felt them sway slowly, peacefully, to the soft music in the background. "What's that?" she asked him faintly, eyes traveling down to his mouth for a moment.

It was all the incentive he needed. With an inaudible prayer and a deep breath he closed the distance between them slowly, giving her enough time to stop him if she desired. 

She surprised him by leaning in the rest of the way, standing on tiptoe to meet his lips. 

And it was the softest kiss he had ever been given. As soft as her hair and as smooth as her skin. He tasted her on his lips, and felt her underneath his fingers. She was beauty in human form and never had he encountered another as she, not in all the lives he had lived and all the boundaries of death he had crossed.

She ended the kiss, almost reluctantly, pulling away to gaze at him. She had left him dizzy, having to focus before finding himself still standing on the earth. She smiled as if unsure how he would react. And he smiled back, struck by her beauty once more.

Off to the side Sakura and Syaoran watched, identical smiles on their faces, swaying also. 

"Yokatta." Sakura breathed and she closed her eyes, resting her head on Syaoran's shoulder once more.

_We danced all night, you and I, under a blanket of night and stars. The moon had never looked so glorious, the stars never so bright. And in all my years never was I so blinded by a beauty such as yours. I held you then as I hold you now and when the night came to an end I knew there would be another day where I would hold you still._

_And I did so because you wanted to hold me for that eternity._

Oh my GOD, someone shoot me. This mush is just choking me! ***Sigh***

This is my life. =)

Oh and the song mentioned above (the lyrics) was Paper Cup by Heather Nova. If you've never heard it I suggest you do, it's actually a haunting, soothing song. =)

-Aeslinn

_ _


End file.
